There has been conventionally known a liquid evaporating/diffusing device from which a liquid (e.g., an aromatic etc.) stored in a container body is evaporated and diffused to an outside of the container body by utilizing capillary action which is caused by a liquid absorbent wick that (i) is held by an inside plug and (ii) is made of a porous material such as felt.
According to the liquid evaporating/diffusing device, an opening of the container body, the inside plug, and the liquid absorbent wick are in close contact with each other. Thus, in a case where the inside plug does not have a ventilation structure, a volatilization rate becomes non-uniform due to a change in atmospheric pressure in the container body. Further, in a case where the inside plug does not have a ventilation structure, an atmospheric pressure in the container body may excessively increase due to an influence of a temperature or the like, and this may cause leakage of a liquid via the liquid absorbent wick. For these reasons, a conventional liquid evaporating/diffusing device includes an inside plug having a ventilation structure so as to keep an atmospheric pressure in a container body stable.
Meanwhile, a ventilation hole provided in the inside plug of the liquid evaporating/diffusing device may cause leakage of a liquid via the ventilation hole in a case where the container body has fallen sideways. In regard to this point, the conventional liquid evaporating/diffusing device is configured to prevent leakage of a liquid. Patent Literatures 1 through 3 disclose such a technique for preventing leakage of a liquid.
A liquid storage container of Patent Literature 1 includes (i) a container body for storing therein a liquid, (ii) a holder which is fixed to an opening of a neck section of the container body, and (iii) a felt wick which is held in the holder. The liquid storage container has an air hole which is provided only on one lateral wall side of the holder. Further, the liquid storage container has, in the vicinity of the air hole, a liquid returning groove which communicates with an inside of the container body.
A suction-type container body of Patent Literature 2 includes (i) a container body in which an outside plug is removably attached to an opening of the container body and (ii) a liquid suction wick which is attached to an inside plug held at the opening of the container body. A lower end of the liquid suction-type wick is sunk in a liquid stored in the container body, and an upper end of the liquid suction-type wick is projected outward from an upper end of the inside plug. According to the suction-type container body of Patent Literature 2, a ventilation passage is formed as a recess on an inner peripheral surface of the inside plug. An upper end of the ventilation passage is open upward from an upper end of the inside plug, and a lower end of the ventilation passage communicates with a ventilation hole passing through from inside to outside of the inside plug. Further, an inner surface of the ventilation passage is formed by a liquid suction-type wick.
A liquid absorbent wick holding plug of Patent Literature 3 includes (i) a cylindrical body which is fitted into an opening of a chemical container and (ii) a stopping section which is connected to an end of the cylindrical body. According to the liquid absorbent wick holding plug of Patent Literature 3, (i) a groove is provided on an outer periphery of the cylindrical body and (ii) a ventilation hole which communicates with the groove is provided in the stopping section. In a state where the liquid absorbent wick holding plug is attached to the chemical container, (i) a liquid absorbent wick passes through the cylindrical body and is supported by the cylindrical body and (ii) an inner space of the chemical container communicates with outside air via the groove and the ventilation hole.